Rush starts for Cam Smith Classic

Pictured: Last year's nine-hole gross winner Jazarah Kamu. Picture Katrina Gibson

Entries for the 2023 Cameron Smith Junior Classic (CSJC) are flooding in, just hours after opening.

There were 68 online registrations - almost one third of available places for two tournaments on December 7-8 – in the first 20 hours.

Of those 40 were for the two-day, 18-hole competition which will have a maximum field of 144 players at Wantima Country Club in Brendale.

A further 28 have been submitted for the nine-hole one-day competition, which has a maximum field of 72 players.

Entries close December 4. Click here for the Cameron Smith Junior Classic - CSJC Facebook page and links to register.

“It’s more than expected in that space of time,” said Ken McKay, who launched the CSJC in 2017, “normally the 18-hole event starts slowly and picks up!”

Organisers have secured more course time for the tournament at allowing maximum entries to rise from around 140 to more than 200.

“If you’d asked me seven years ago, I’d have said it was just a pipe dream to be where we are now,” Mr McKay said when announcing the expansion.

“But none of this would be possible without Cam (Smith), the person and of course with his success.”

Smith, the 2022 (British) Open Champion, plans to hold a Q&A with the young players at this year's event.

The 29-year-old grew up in Bray Park, went to Pine Rivers State High School and learned to play golf at Wantima alongside his father Des.

He is currently ranked 12 in the world, having risen to two last year and is been one of the most successful players on the LIV golf tour.

The 18-hole CSJC is a stroke play event for players aged 18 and under with a Golf Australia (GA) handicap or overseas equivalent.

Players under 14 without an 18-hole GA handicap can enter the nine-hole one-day competition.

The 2023 CSJC will, again, be the first qualifier for the next Greg Norman Junior Masters series and counts towards the Queensland Order of Merit.

For links to register click here.

Cameron Smith Junior Classic winners:

2017: Boys’ champion Tyler Duncan; Girls’ champion Lion Higo

2018: Boys’ champion Mitchell Hennessy; Girls’ champion Chloe Nam

2019: Boys’ champion Andrew Park; Girls’ champion Haruhi Nakatani

2020: Boys’ champion Harry Takis; Girls’ champion Justice Bosio

2021: Boys’ champion Manato Nakatani; Girls’ champion Haruhi Nakatani

2022: Boys’ champion Wesley Hinton; Girls’ champion Kirra St-Laurant